


What Love Is

by Arisprite



Category: Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle
Genre: Bit sad, F/M, Fluffy, M/M, parents taking care of their children, valentine's day fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-14
Updated: 2016-02-14
Packaged: 2018-05-18 07:57:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5909047
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arisprite/pseuds/Arisprite
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It’s Valentine’s Day in whatever world they’re visiting. Kurogane winces when he sees the decorations, expecting that his partner will begin nagging him nonstop to do something fancy for the romantic holiday. Instead, Fai says nothing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	What Love Is

**Author's Note:**

> I started this a year ago, and never finished it, until this January, when I wanted to post it early, but instead I've been sitting on it for a month, and now I'm very excited to post it. Finally!
> 
>  
> 
> The title comes from this quote by Hermann Hesse
> 
> “If I know what love is, it’s because of you.”

The moment they landed, pink hearts and red roses assaulted his eyes. The smell of chocolate laced the air, and couples were walking around on the street they landed on holding hands and showing other inappropriate affections. He recognized this from countless worlds. Valentine’s Day, though sometimes it was called something different. Celebrations of love and courtship. 

Great. 

Kurogane knew what day this was, and consequently what he could expect now. Fai, his partner yes, but undeniable pain in his ass, whining and nagging about how they should _celebrate the holiday_ , and _really show each other how much they loved each other_ , as if they needed a holiday to do that. It just all left a bad taste in his mouth. If he and Fai wanted to have an evening for themselves, dinner and roses, the complete romantic works (which he’d pieced together from countless worlds traditions, and far too many movies with pink cases that he’d sat through) he was fine with that. If Fai was only wanting it because the government, or society dictated that that night was the night for that, Kurogane would tell him to shove it up his ass. His private life wasn’t set by the calendar, thank you. 

They’d landed in the street, drawing looks from people not sensitive enough to detect the magic, but aware enough to realize that there hadn’t been three men standing there before. The majority, however, ignored them completely, too wrapped up in their significant other to notice.  
And damn were there a lot of couples on the street. Today must be the day. He braced himself for the deluge from the mage. 

Nothing.

Kurogane turned to peer at the man, who was brushing off his clothes, and looking around with an open expression on his face. He didn’t look displeased or false, so why wasn’t he doing what he’d normally be doing, which was tease the everliving hell out of him?

Syaoran was looking around as well, with Mokona on his shoulder, squeaking something he couldn’t hear over the noise of the city. The kid had pulled out his little calendar, the one that attempted to keep some sort of track of the days they spent travelling, and squinted at it, his face falling. 

“It shouldn’t be Valentine’s Day for us yet. We’ve skipped ahead.” He said, in a flat tone. Syaoran had been trying to analyze how their time worked relative to the rest of the worlds they visited, and he’d been holding a pattern. It was obvious in his slumped shoulders that that pattern had abruptly fallen apart. 

Fai laid a hand on Syaoran's shoulder, and still said nothing. Kurogane, not one to look at a gift too closely, simply waved a hand and led them towards what looked like a hotel. Hopefully, they’d recognize some of the currency they had collected through the worlds. 

The odd behavior went on as they checked into two hotel rooms, and then gathered in one to debate the plan, which had mostly devolved into whether or not they’d leave to find food, or just order take out. 

“Probably everywhere is already booked up,” Syaoran said, flipping through the little restaurant booklet that was in most hotels in modern worlds. Kurogane couldn’t read the text, but he recognized the pictures of food, and even some logos, as chain restaurants spanned worlds, apparently. 

“But Mokona is hungry!” Mokona complained, jumping into Fai’s lap. Fai scooped her up, and cuddled her close to his face. 

“Well, we can’t have that,” Fai said, smiling at her. He looked at Syaoran. “Syaoran-kun, are there any supermarkets in that book? It would probably be the best option to avoid the holiday crowds.”

Syaoran squinted down at the pages, before nodding. “Yes, looks like there’s a market just down the street from here.” 

Fai laughed, and peered down at Mokona. “There, you see, Moka-chan? Food will be on it’s way quickly. Now, Syaoran, would you like to come-”

“I’ll go with you. Kid, you stay with Mokona.” Kurogane interrupted, wanting to figure out why Fai had been so quiet and subdued since they landed here, and also why he seemed to be avoiding looking at him. 

“But, I-” Mokona began, but Syaoran pulled her out of mid bounce. 

“That’s fine,” Syaoran said, “We’ll see if the place has good… TV channels.” 

Kurogane nodded at the kid, and stood to grab Fai’s upper arm. Fai, who hadn’t made a noise either way about him going or staying, and was just kind of smiling at nothing. Fai, at least, didn’t fight him, as Kurogane dragged him outside the hotel room. 

“Okay, what’s the matter with you?” Kurogane demanded, making sure they were alone in the hallway. Fai looked up at him, a flash of true annoyance and anger in his eyes. It made Kurogane want to take a step back. He didn’t, because that was ridiculous. He hadn’t done anything, or said anything to make him mad recently, had he?

“You insensitive -” Fai broke off, looking down at the ground. “Did you see Syaoran-kun’s face when we landed?” 

Kurogane hadn’t. He’d taken a look around at the decorations and the couples, and immediately put up his defenses against ‘romantic holiday Fai’. 

“His calendar thing didn’t work,” Kurogane said, remembering that much. Fai sighed, rubbing his head. 

“His pattern was staying even with Sakura-chan. Now, we’re ahead again, and Syaoran is worried that if he gets too far off her time…” 

“He won’t be able to see her again,” Kurogane realized. Fai nodded, looking relieved he’d gotten it. Kurogane huffed. 

“Well, how am I supposed to know these things if you all don’t _tell_ me?” he said, and Fai’s face softened. He pulled Kurogane into a hug, pressing his cheek against Kurogane’s chest. Kurogane encircled him with both metal and flesh arms, holding lightly. 

“Oh, I’m sorry, Kuro-love. I just didn’t want to shove what we have in Syaoran’s face, when he was already thinking about Sakura-chan…” he tilted his head back, and smirked up at him. “I know you were so looking forward to another Valentine’s Day, Kuro-sama.” 

Kurogane snorted, and knocked him lightly on the head. “Yeah, sure. I hate all that crap, you know that.” 

Fai lifted a finger, looking ponderous. “Or at least, government mandated crap, as you say.” 

“Yeah, yeah,” Kurogane said, and bent down to kiss his forehead. “I’ll be nicer to the kid today. Now, c’mon, the bun is hungry.”

Fai hummed, and pulled back, taking his hand in his. They walked to the store that Syaoran had said was left down the road, and found a ritzy, expensive, health food store. Better than nothing, and luckily, it was almost completely empty. They quickly grabbed a handful of things that all of them would eat, along with some strange nectar sweetened bars for the meat bun. On the way back, Fai swung their hands around, and mused to himself. 

“Perhaps we can do something nice for them…”

“Who?” 

“The children. It’s Valentine’s Day, you know. Syaoran deserves to see his love.” Fai’s voice was light, but his hand tightened around Kurogane’s. “I get to see mine.” 

Kurogane squeezed back for a moment, before considering the question. 

“Sakura’s pretty unreachable, though.” 

Fai nodded, falling deeper into thought. 

A while later, after a strange crunchy dinner, Fai called Syaoran into their hotel room, and handed him a little box. 

“What’s this?” he asked, taking it with a confused look. Fai glanced back at Kurogane, and smiled, before pushing towards Syaoran. 

“It’s a Valentine’s Day gift,” he crowed, and Syaoran frowned. 

“From you two?” he asked, sounding so incredulous. Fai laughed. 

“Not exactly. Open it!” 

Syaoran glanced at Kurogane, and he nodded. “Open it, kid.” Mokona bounced off his head, cheering the same thing, so the kid did, tearing off the wrapping made of the paper menus in the breakfast hall of the hotel. He pulled out a clear plastic cassette tape, and held it up, giving it a confused look. Kurogane’s face threatened to break into a smile. 

“What is it?” he asked, and Mokona wasted no time in burping out a tape player for him to stick it in right now. 

“Try it here, Syaoran!” she said, and Syaoran against glanced at the two of them; Fai with his grin, and Kurogane with the happiness probably clear on his face, before inserting the tape, and pressing play. 

There was a crackling static, and then- 

“Hi Syaoran, and everyone! I hope this is working, Watanuki-kun wasn’t sure it would manage to record in the dream world, but it looks like it’s doing alright. I’ll just keep going…” 

Sakura’s sweet voice filled the room. 

Mokona’s gasp was drowned out by Syaoran’s, as he fell to his knees, holding the tape playing in front of him like it was weighted gold. His eyes were wide, and he looked at the rolling tape, and then up to Kurogane and Fai. Kurogane glanced over at Fai, as Fai dashed away some tears, smiling all the while. 

“You-, how-” Syaoran spoke, but quickly turned his eyes back to the tape. “Thank you!” he said, before going quiet to listen. Kurogane smiled at the kid, before reaching forward to take Fai’s hand, and pull him close. Fai folded himself against Kurogane’s side, tucking his head against his neck. 

“He’s so happy, look at him,” Fai said, and Kurogane nodded, before pulling him back towards the door, and their own room. 

“Let’s give him some time to listen.” 

Tears were glistening on Syaoran’s cheeks, as he listened to the one way message, but there was true joy on his face. Fai breathed out, and followed Kurogane into the hall, and then the other room. 

“It was kind of you to pay,” Fai said, and Kurogane half shrugged. The price hadn’t been all that much, a lullaby from his childhood. He couldn’t remember his mother’s voice singing it now, but he had Sakura’s introduction on that tape to replace it. It was fair. 

“You had the idea, it was only right I help out.” 

Fai pulled him close again, tucking his head under Kurogane’s chin. “Still, it was nice. I’m glad Watanuki-kun could manage it.” 

Kurogane nodded, and looked down at Fai, brushing hair back from his forehead. He was proud of Fai, for thinking of it, for putting Syaoran’s happiness first, and then making it happen. 

“You did good, Fai,” he said, and then leaned down to kiss him. Fai smiled against his lips, before pulling back, a sudden wicked glint in his eyes. 

“You know, there’s still plenty of Valentine’s Day left,” he started, and Kurogane stepped away deliberately. 

“No.” 

“We could go out, find some wine, flowers, chocolates, the whole thing,” Fai continued, threading arms around Kurogane’s retreating form. 

“No way in hell, mage.” 

“And then come back here, and-” 

“No!” 

Fai laughed, and whined, and Kurogane growled and snapped and gave in, and between room service and a midnight run to that same healthy grocery store, Fai got most of what he was asking for, given less than begrudgingly. 

After all, it was Valentine’s Day.


End file.
